Ashraf Amgad Elseify who came to Barcelona as the seventh ranked hammer thrower of All-Time left the 1992 Olympic Games Stadium as World record holder after a truly dominant performance in front of over 9000 spectators on another night of fabulous action.

Elseify adding another gold medal to Qatar's tally after Hamza Driouch's 1500m success, continued his domination of the event this summer when leading from the first round with a high calibre throw of 77.23m.

That would have been far enough to defeat Bence Pasztor of Hungary and Uzbekistan's Suhrob Khodjaev the silver and bronze medallists who achieved distances of 76.74m and 76.16m - the latter's a personal best.

Elseify after his opener continued his electrifying display producing efforts of 78.61m, 81.84m, 81.60m before destroying Spain's Javier Cienfuegos' World record of 82.97m set two years ago in Madrid.

"It is a great feeling to break the World record," he said. "I always believed I could do that. It was hard but I am very happy that I got it. I will be going to the World Championships in Moscow next year."

France’s double in women’s Hammer

The women's hammer was also exceptional, Alexandra Tavernier the World leader improving even further when brilliantly throwing a Championship record of 70.62m.

The Frenchwoman's huge effort in the fourth round when erasing Bianca Peries’ previous mark of 67.95m the Romania achieved four years ago in Bydgoszcz, made her the World's third best ever performer.

It also sealed success against her great domestic rival Alexia Sedykh who had a best of 67.34m with Alena Navahrodskaya from Belarus throwing a PB 67.13m taking third position.

Tavernier winning her country's first ever hammer medal did not have it all her own way, Sedykh replacing her as leader in the second round until her career best earned her the gold medal.

"That's amazing, I didn't expect to make such a throw, and it's all happened during Bastille Day," said Tavernier enjoying a double celebration before hearing the Le Marseillaise at the medal ceremony on such an important French anniversary.

Championships record in the Pole Vault too

World Pole Vault leader Angelica Bengtsson duly retained her title when raising the Championships record by 10 centimetres to an even more respectable 4.50m ahead of Liz Parnov and Italy's Roberta Bruni who achieved best heights of 4.30m and 4.20m.

But the competition lost much of its glamour when Australia's Parnov who has been having treatment for a leg injury withdrew when the bar was raised to 4.35m and was immediately consoled by the Swede who was left to go it alone.

Russell succeeds Spencer in one-lap hurdles

Janieve Russell the World leader in the 400m Hurdles scored a gun-to-tape victory when comfortably lowering that performance of 57.04 she achieved a fortnight ago on home soil in Kingston.

Russell's new World leader of 56.62 saw her follow in the footsteps of fellow Jamaican Kaliese Spencer the 2006 champion as Aurelie Chaboudez took the silver medal with a French record of 57.14 ahead of the USA's Kaila Barber who clocked 57.63.

There was a drama when the trio coming down the home stretch ahead and approaching the last hurdle were strongly attacked by Shamier Little from the outside lane.

Little desperately attempting to cut their advantages put in a huge surge but was clearly off balance and crashed into the final barrier and failed to finish.

Ethiopia dominates 5000m

Muktar Edris after clocking a very quick 13:04.34 at the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Paris eight days earlier brought that form to the Championships to win Ethiopia's third gold medal this week.

Edris with a powerful last lap won in 13:38.95 beating Abrar Osman Adem, the Eritrean throwing his body across the line to snatch the silver medal ahead of Kenya's Wiliam Sitonik the pair sharing the same time of 13:40.52.

Relays Drama

Great Britain's quartet were leading at the final changeover in the women's 4x100m relay but failed to exchange the baton cleanly and were left bewildered to watch their rivals complete the race.

That saw the USA comfortably notch up a fifth consecutive victory in a World leading time of 43.89 ahead of Germany and Brazil who claimed season's bests of 44.24 and 44.29.

The USA men thanks to a storming last leg by 100m silver medallist Aaron Ernest scored a third win in succession clocking 38.67 when drawing blood from Jamaica who set a National record of 38.97. Japan finished third in 39.02.

Last Qualifying rounds

Botswana's Nijel Amos the World 800m leader remains on target to capture what would be his country's first ever gold - and only the second medal after Obakeng Ngwigwa 400m bronze eight years ago - in tomorrow's final.

Amos who roared to a mark of 1:43.11 just over a month ago in Mannheim only did what was required when holding off the challenge of Germany's Dennis Kruger to win by 0.22 in 1:49.67 with Slovenia's Zan Rudolf third in 1:49.93.

With slowish times in a tactical race Kenya's Edwin Melly was fastest in the final semi-final winning in 1:47.08. Not surprisingly knowing what time they needed to better to make the final as fastest losers, the next three Wesley Vazquez, Brandon McBride and Mark English, all came up with the goods.

100m Hurdles

World leader Ekaterina Bleskina of Russia after holding back in the 100m Hurdles heats got into full swing to run the fastest time in the semi-finals of 13.24 ahead of Morgan Snow who clocked 13.31.

The second heat produced drama when Franziska Hofmann looking the likely winner fell over approaching the line but finished although allowing China's Dou Wang to win a PB time of 13.40, one-hundredth-of-a-second ahead of Australia's Michelle Jenneke.

Remarkably the German who was carried off on a stretcher qualified as a fastest loser in 13.53 and no doubt her physios will be working overtime to get her on the starting line tomorrow night.

World Youth silver medallist Noemi Zbaren the fastest in the heats took her race in 13.46 to clinch her place along with runner up Dior Hall who clocked 13.78. Sade Greenidge of Barbados a medal candidate failed to finish when clattering into a hurdle.

4x400 Relays

Team USA chasing a sixth successive 4x400m relay title won their qualifier in a World leading time of 3:34.12 before being disqualified along with Romania who had finished behind them in 3:38.68.

With the first three across the line going into the final automatically that meant the remaining quartets of Poland (3:39.54), South Africa (3:40.00) and Australia (3:40.57) all progressed.

Jamaica went through comfortably with an impressive display of 3:34.96, but the race for the two remaining places was highly competitive and was claimed by Canada and Russia with SB's of 3:35.56 and 3:35.83.

The Ukrainian quartet who were in the mix just behind the Russian squad in 3:35.97 and Germany who clocked 3:37.90 qualified as fastest losers.

*Following an appeal, the US team has been granted the chance of a re-run, Sunday 15 July at 11:00am. If they run equal or faster than 3:39.44, they will be added to the evening’s final. Romania was also concerned but refused to re-run the race.

Jamaica and the Bahamas fighting a game battle towards the finish line seemed certain to claim the first two places in the men's 4x400m until Italy's last leg runner threw a spanner into the confrontation.

Michele Trica producing a late spurt split the pair, which saw Jamaica going into the final automatically with times of 3:08.83 and 3:08.87 with the Bahamian quartet narrowly missing out.

The USA easily targeting a sixth successive win controlled their heat to win in 3:06.26 from Australia (3:07.49) with Poland and Saudi Arabia who ran 3:07.85 and 3:07.88 - a National record - going through.

Japan and Trinidad and Togago in a thriller dead heated in their final heat sharing a time of 3:08.16 while Russia and Germany although involved in the burn and recorded 3:08.58 and 3:08.82 were eliminated.